Ruby Control Flow = (equals) and if

Question

I am a real Newb when it comes to Ruby, but I have been learning it using the code academy website. I started going outside the guidelines for the specific task I was supposed to be doing, only to my surprise I got an error when typing the following code:

print "please type in an integer for x:"
x = gets.to_i

print "please type in an integer for y:"
y = gets.to_i

if "x" < "y"
    puts "#{x} is less than #{y}"
elsif "x" > "y"
    puts "#{x} is greater than #{y}"
else
    puts "#{x} is equal to #{y}"
end

It is a really simple code but the end result is supposed to do this:

"x" < "y" will report "x is less than y"
"x" > "y" will report "x is greater than y"
"x" = "y" will report "x is equal to y"

both the smaller and greater work, but it cannot calculate if x and y are the same, instead just reporting "x is lees than y"

I'm not sure if it's a bug with the Code Academy website, or if it's something I'm doing wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You don't need to put quotes around variable names in the if clauses. — Max Al Farakh, Mar 05 '14 at 17:44

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 10:26

2

Write as below :

if x < y
    puts "#{x} is less than #{y}"
elsif x > y
    puts "#{x} is greater than #{y}"
else
    puts "#{x} is equal to #{y}"
end

"x" create a new string and not treated as the number you took from the console. But when you are write "#{x}", it is giving the number, but in string format using interpolation.

When you would write "x" > "y", you are checking/testing those string literals 'x' and 'y' by their lexicographical ordering, but x > y is the comparisons of the two numbers you took from the console using gets.to_i.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:26

Community

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answered Mar 05 '14 at 17:43

Arup Rakshit

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Ahh, thank yo very much. I knew I was doing something as senile as forgetting the basic rules of Ruby. I applaud you, good sir. And I will also delete this question as it was a silly mistake. – Lewis H Mar 05 '14 at 17:45
alright sorry. I wish I was better at online forums like this one but unfortunately I don't take things like this as seriously as some other people. and yes I am talking about you. – Lewis H Mar 06 '14 at 22:45
@LewisHarris What do you mean by *yes I am talking about you* ? – Arup Rakshit Mar 06 '14 at 22:46

Ruby Control Flow = (equals) and if

1 Answers1